Vancouver Fashion eZine - Online Magazine | Fashion Designer

Imagine you're walking through Gastown one morning in February. It's pouring raining and your latte is several degrees too low to be palatable. Turning the corner onto Carrall and Hastings, you are met by several smiling locals and the most unassuming doorway imaginable. You check the number in your notebook against the peeling painted script and sure enough you're there, 9 East Hastings. However, upon crossing the threshold at the top of the stairs, your morning woes suddenly melt away. Just like Dorothy, your shiny red rain boots have led you somewhere that is more surreal and yet more comfortable than any home: the Kulpa studio, where Polish designer Joanna Kulpa spends her days creating timeless pieces for stylish Vancouver women.

The showroom at Kulpa is petite and minimalist, highlighted with vintage pieces that pay homage to the roots of clothing design. A refurbished Singer sewing machine shares wall space with a gilded floor-to-ceiling mirror and a wooden dressing screen. The facing wall is clad in deep red velvet brocade, which perfectly offsets the dark wood floors and the rolling rack of Kulpa pieces from the past two seasons. Just past the wall-mounted wooden ironing board is the Kulpa workspace. With its cozy teak armchairs and floral window drapes, the room feels more like a 1950s living room than a work area. However, the whir of a sewing machine and the rainbow of thread, spooled and clinging to the walls, confirm the room's intended usage.

Joanna Kulpa has created an environment so warm and inviting, it's no wonder that she's spent the last six years perfecting her line of women's wear in this heritage building. Her comfort with the craft might stem from the fact that Kulpa spent her childhood learning to sew under her mother's tutelage as a dressmaker in a small Polish town. After moving to Vancouver, Kulpa combined her technical skills with her friends' sense of style to create the first season of holiday wear. The story may sound simple, but the label's appeal has reached a highpoint thanks to rave reviews at the 2007 BC Fashion Week and the recent introduction of sustainable and natural fabric.

This season, Kulpa has created a line of garments that can be worn as stand alone pieces, but are just as easily paired with items from previous seasons to create a seamless wardrobe. Dresses and shirts are adorned with pleats, tucks and gathers, as well as generous arm holes and open backs to add allure to an evening out. Kulpa's choice of palette - black, ivory, indigo and smoky purple - suits the chill Vancouver scene, but translates just as easily in other cities. Kulpa relates that a friend travelling through Russia reported that her Kulpa garments fit in seamlessly with the styles sported abroad. While it's hard to pinpoint exactly what sets her apart from other Vancouver designers, Kulpa's friends simply call it her "European flare." Added to that is the attention to detail that Kulpa gives to each piece and every client. While many shoppers are satisfied with off-the-rack outfits, the majority of Kulpa's clients are those who stop by her studio for custom fittings. As a designer and stylist, Kulpa knows precisely how each piece is intended to fit and will customize a garment to a client's specifications, all in the comfort of a vintage studio.

To experience the "European flare" firsthand contact Joanna Kulpa at 604-689-5624 for private fittings, or visit her website: www.kulpa.ca. Kulpa is also available at Dujour and Mooncruise galleries.